Champions League Qualifying First Round- 1st Leg
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Asim FerhatoviÄ‡ Stadium

SARAJEVO…1
(Oremus 29)

CELTIC…3
(Johnston 35, Edouard 51, Sinclair 84)

CELTIC started their Champions League qualification campaign with a convincing 3-1 win against FK Sarajevo in Bosnia. The Scottish champions showed their quality in their response to going a goal down as they fought back and firmly asserted their superiority on the tie.

Mirko Oremus snatched the lead for Sarajevo on the half hour mark but Mikey Johnston quickly drew level for Celtic with a wonderful solo goal. Odsonne Edouard established a lead for Celtic early in the second half with a cool finish and Sinclair put the tie to bed late in the game.

The home side issued a warning sign early on when they hit Celtic on the break. Amar RahmanoviÄ‡ played in Anel HebiboviÄ‡ with a long diagonal ball from the left and the Bosnian midfielder found himself bearing down on goal with Boli Bolingoli in pursuit. Scott Bain came to Celtic’s rescue as he rushed off his line to block the shot.

Celtic quickly composed themselves and set about creating an opportunity of their own however that proved difficult with Sarajevo’s deep lying defence.

Possession belonged to Celtic for long periods in the early stages but Sarajevo were organised, defended their penalty box in numbers and counter attacked with pace.

Ryan Christie was one of Celtic’s most lively players in attack early on but the all important final pass would not come off for the Scottish champions in the last third.

Neil Lennon highlighted Sarajevo’s threat from set-pieces before the game, and the Bosnian side punished Celtic on the half hour mark from a corner. A lapse in concentration in clearing the initial cross saw the ball fall to Oremus on the edge of the six-yard box and the experienced Croatian lashed in from close range.

Six minutes after going behind Celtic drew level with an individual piece of brilliance from Mikey Johnston. The 20-year-old impressed in pre-season and carried that momentum into Celtic’s first competitive game.

He fought to hold on to possession in a tight pocket of opposition players 25-yards from goal. After coming out with the ball he spun away from a challenge and fired in a superb strike with his right foot beyond the keeper who had no chance.

The goal appeared to spur Celtic on and they piled on the pressure in the latter stages of the first half.

Odsonne Edouard slipped a perfectly weighted pass in behind the Sarajevo defence for James Forrest to run on to. The Hoops winger evaded one challenge and had to pull the trigger quickly to get his shot off with the outside of his right foot but his effort rose over the crossbar.

Neil Lennon would have been somewhat frustrated to hear the half-time whistle given the attacking momentum and dominance Celtic were showing but his side picked up from where they left off following the restart.

Edouard gave Celtic the lead, and a crucial second away goal, five minutes into the second half after captain Scott Brown won back possession for his side. Sarajevo were undone with three quick passes and Edouard collected Forrest’s pass inside the box. The French striker ran across the box, delaying his shot before cleverly lifting the ball over the keeper.

It could have been two in quick succession for Edouard after Brown again won possession for Celtic in the opposition half. His pass would have released Edouard but the referee blew for a foul much to the disbelief of the Celtic captain.

Sarajevo had a brief foray attacking Celtic 20 minutes from the end with their best chance coming from full-back Dusan Hodzic’s whose 18-yard shot hit the side-netting.

Second half substitute Lewis Morgan tormented the home side with his attacking play on both wings late on. The Scotland international repeatedly got away from his marker and crossed good balls into the box from the by-line.

That led to Celtic’s third and final goal when Scott Sinclair, with his back to goal, collected Morgan’s cross from the right and back-heeled beyond the keeper from the six-yards.

Morgan showed fantastic vision to pick out Edouard late in the game with a wonderful pass. The French striker got beyond his marker just inside the box and fired across goal but the keeper managed to palm his effort away.

SARAJEVO: Kovacevic; Hodzic (Dokanovic 87), Ahmetovic, Hebibovic, Sabanovic (Tatar 66), Oremus, Lazic, Velkoski, Rahmanovic (Sisic 78), Milanovic, Serbecic
Subs: Mustafic, Guzina, Kurdic, Dizdarevic

CELTIC: Bain; Ajer, Simunovic, Bitton, Bolingoli (Hayes 56); Brown, McGregor, Forrest (Sinclair 78), Christie, Johnston (Morgan 64); Edouard.
Subs: Gordon, Ralston, Julien, Hayes, Griffiths

Website Man of the Match: Mikey Johnston

Celtic fight back to secure dominant win away to Sarajevo